Peocess and apparatus foe making seamless tubing



N. CRANE.

Feb. 18,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS'FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBING.

ORIGINAL FILED DEC. 21,1915. 3 SHEETSSHEET L.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

M LII-AHA), ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1923..

N. CRANE.

PROCESS'AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBING.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ORIGINAL FILED DEC- 21.19M-

INVENTOR 'ATTnnm-v Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,953 N. C RA NE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBING. ORIGINAL FILED 05c. 21. 1915.

3 SHEETS-$HEET 3- WITNESSES:

. ATTORNEY Petentcti l eb. 13, 1923.

rA'rENT orricit. j

NEWTON CR.A.NE, QF BBOOKLINE, fMASSACI-IUSETTS.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEALMLESS TUBING.

Application filed. December 21, 1915, Serial No. 67,997. Renewed April 28,1922. Serial. No, 557,227,

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, llEWTON CRANE, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of BIOOkliIlG, in the county of Nor- 5 tell: and of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvementin Processes and Apparatus tor Making Sea1nless Tubing, (it w ich the following is a specification.

My inventh'm relates to the manufacture oi" i-ieainless tubing, and its general object is to make use of centrifugal force as a means for shaping molten material into tubularz'iorm and for maintaining the tubulurshape of the material. until it is solidified sufiiciently to be handled and cut into suitable lengths.

lrlore specifically, one of the objects of my invention isto provide a rapid and continuous process of making seamless tubing, wrticularly metallic pipe, by subjecting a am (it molten material to the action of sutiicientcentrifugal force to cause the 1naterial to assume tubular form, progressively cooling; the material while still under the influence t centriugal force, and severing the continuously forined tube into pipes of any desireo length.

Another ol'iject of my invention is to iirovidc effective and complete apparatus for continuously opeatiugg; upon a stream of molten material to carry out the process outlined above.

A further objector my invention is to produce seamless metal tubing, and other forms of hollow bodies, having); walls of grez; strength and uniformity.

The principles of my invention are illus rated in the :1vconipmiyiug drawings, in which tux. is a side clevatiooal iew, with partsin section. of :1. complete unu hine for melting tubing: .l-fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the structure shown in l? ig. 1; .Fig. 23 is a. trausuerse view, mainly in eleation but partially in section, showing part oi the apparatus of Fig. i. the section being; taken substantially along the line lll Ill, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the centrifugal tube-forming device; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially along the line VV, Fig. at; Fig. 6 H

is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure oi. 3, showing the details of a pipe-cutting devic that forms part of my mchine; Fig. 7 a himgitudinal central sectional View oi a portion of the struc ture shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a side View, nitially in elevation and partially in section, showin a set of drawing rollers, together with their operating mechanism; lio'. 9 is an end elevational View, with parts shown inv section along the line IX-IX. 8, and with other parts broken away, showing an arrangement of gearing :for operating the drawing rollers, and Fig. 10 .s a transverse view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing the relati e arrangement of the pipe-drawingrollcrs, the section being taken substantially along); the line X-X, Fig. 8.

Eteamless metal tubing has heretofore been made either by casting. tBX'tTUSiOH, drawing or rolling. ast metal tubes are relatively weak proportion to the thiclc ness of their walls, and extrusion methods are applicable only to soft metals such as end, tin and copper, while the drawing and rolling; methods now in use are slow and expensive, consume much power and are not capable of producing long sections of pipe.

My present invention aims to produce tubing of great strength wh ch. may be manufactured even more quickly and cheaply than cast metal pipe and which, in a tion, may be formed continuously in any lengths that may be required.

According to my process, I melt the matorial oi which the tubing to he made, and deliver it at a constant mic into the upper Gilli ot :1 forming tube which is preterahl lllllllHj-(l at a suitable angle and which i equipped with high speeil driving means tor r tine; it rapidly around itsrioi Jul The inner suri uce ot the forming tube should he of conically flaring" form, and the tube is siu'rounded by a spaced was i115); forminga water jacliet through which coolinn' fluid may be passed. The molten material, fed into the upper and smaller end of the inclined forming tube, is whirled at high speed and is centriiugally forced to from a stationary casing ll and force it upward through the space surrounding the tube'lll. 'llhecentrifugal force set up by the rotation of the apparatus assists in pro ducing the upward movement of the water, and the stationary casing ll should be kept filled with water under pressure through a pipe 4-2 connected to anysuitable source of water. Near its upper end, the casing 36 is provided with an annular enlargement having one or more openings 43 for the escape of. the cooling'water, the number and size of these openings being so proportioned that the space surrounding the tube 31 is kept filled with water. A stationary casing {Le surrounds the openings 43 and is provided with a drain pipe 4L5 for carrying off the waste cooling water.

The lower end of the flange 33' upon the tubular forming member 81 is provided with teeth 46 forming a spur gear element which meshes with the gear wheel 24 on shaft 20 and the correspondinggear (not, shown) on shaft 26; while the upper portion 47 of the casing 36 rests on so much of thebed as is provided by the roller 23 of shaft 20 and-the corresponding roller ,(not shown) 1 on the shaft 26. Mostof the weight ofthe centrifugal device is supported by roller end thrust and lateral bearings which, as shown in Fig. 4f, comprise a set of frusto-conical rollers 50 and a set of cylindrical rollers 51, both sets of rollers being receivedin suitable grooves formed in the bracket 9. An annularilange 52, formed on the casing member 36, restsupon the rollers50 andthe outer surface of the casing 1l]1061'1t to the rollers '51 is shaped to form a cylindrlcalbearlng surface. for

these rollers.

Upon emerging from the forming device, the tubing is rece1ved, in a hot and somewhat plastic condition, by the withdrawing device 8, which is best shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. This device consists of three sets of positively driven rollers 55, which have hollowed peripheries conforming to. the shape of the tubing and are arranged symmetrically around the tubing, as shown in Fig. 10. The

rollers 55 are mounted upon pins 56'which are journaled in bearings formed in rods or tubular supports 57. The rods or tubes 57 are rigidly secured at their upper ends to the flange 33o]? the forming tube '31, and at their lower ends to agear wheel which meshes with the main driving gear and which isprovided with a sleeve 59 extend ing' for some distance downwardly around the tube 1. It will. be observed that the supports 57 form a frame surrounding the tube in course of manufacture, and than this frame rotates in unison with the centrifugal device and with the tubing. 1

Asindicated above, the several rollers 55 are positively rotated. to withdraw the tubing from the forming device. For this purthe girders 8.

pose, a worm wheel 60 is fixed to the side, of each of the rollers 55, and the alined worm wheels associated with the rollers of each of the three sets are driven by a series of worms '61 formed upon a shaft 62. The upper ends of the three shafts 62 are rotatably received in openings in the flange 33 of the formingmember 31, and their lower ends extend through openings in the gear wheel 58 and carry pinions-63 secured to their lowerends.

Pow r for rotating the pinions 63 and the worm shafts 62 while the entire roller mech- V 68 which surrounds the sleeve 59 and is spacedfrom it. Thesleeve 68 is provided with an upwardly-extending reduced. portion 69, to which is keyed a gear ring 70 meshing with all three of the pinions 63 that, are secured to the ends of the worm shafts 62. The sleeve 68 and the gear ring 70 are driven in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the gear 58 and the frame that carries the rollers 55. The pinions 63, therefore, roll upon the gear ring 70 and are rotated at very high speed. Cylindrical rollers 72 are interposed between the sleeve 59 and 68, which, it will be observed, rotate inoppositedirections, and the I .frusto-conica]. rollers 74 that are received in a groove formed in the bracket 10 of the machine frame.

Since the tubing is still very hot during its progress through the withdrawing apparatus, Iprovide one or more devices for spraying water upon the pipe at this time. As shown, a perforated pipe 75 is disposed parallel with the roller frame, and is supplied with water from the pipe 4-2 through a connection 76. The lower end of the spray pipe 7 5 may conveniently be supported upon a sheet metal shield 77, which serves to protect the lower parts of the machine from the water delivered from the spray pipe For a similar purpose, the, main motor 15 may be provided'with a cover 78 bolted to one of The section of the machine below thewith drawing rollers and their operatnw earing:

is occupied by the pipe-severing device which may talre. any one of a number of forms. Due simple form is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,6 and 7 of the drawing, and consists essentiallyof a cutting blade or saw 80 which is automatically brought into cutting engagement with the .pipe at a point just below the withdrawing device, moves bodily with the tubing and at the speed, is withdrawn deliver-it -from the machine. The individual rollers llO which compose this set are similar to the tube-Withdrawing rollers 55, but need not be positively driven. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the guide rollers are arrange/din two sets, being mounted on pins 111 that are secured in forked bearings 11.2 carried by rods 113. Three sets of these rollers may be employed it desired, and ranged symmetrically like the rollers shown in Fig. 10.

Since the guide rollers 110 first engage the tubing while it is rotating at the speed of the centrifugal forming device, the rods carrying the rollers must be revolved around the axis of the tubing at the same speed. For this purpose, the gear wheel 22 on the main driving shail t 2O meshes with a gear ring lll which is rotatably mounted upon a roller bearing comprising frustoconical rollers 115 and cylindrical rollers 116 which travel in grooves in the bracket 11. The gear ring 11l is provided with a sleeve 117 which extends downwardly around the path of the tubing and the sleeve 117 has an annular flange 118, to which are attached the upper ends o1 the roller-supporting rods 1,13. The lower ends of these rods are secured to a ring 119 which is mounted, similarly to the gear ring 114, upon a roller bearing in the bracketfllil. The ring 119, however, is not provil led with gear teeth, butrests upon the rollers 25 and 29.

In the operation of my machine, the several rotating elements are set inmotion by starting the motors 15 and 16. proper alinement 01" the rotating parts with respect to the axis of rotation having been obtained by suitable preliminary adjustments. Molten metal or other suitable material is introduced into the upper end of the tubular forming member 31 at a constant rate. This may be accomplished by various means, the details'ot which form no part oi my present invention. Upon entering the lorming tube, the molten material given an initial whirling motion by means of the helical ballles and the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the torming device holds thematerial against the inner walls 01" the formingtube with a force This increase in the where the tubing leaves the forming device. lVhen it reaches the lower end of the torm ing tube, the material should be solidified sufiiciently to be handled. It the metal or other molten material is not entirely homogeneous, the walls of the tubing will be of graded density, the denser and heavier material ap iiearing atthe outer surface and the lighter material within. This becomes especially important when tubing is made from metal containing slag or other dross,

since these relatively light impurities will be found at the inner walls of the tube and will not impair its strength in any way.

The tubing is drawn -lrom the forming device by the withdrawing mechanism 3, at speed proportional to the thickness oil the walls of the tubing, and the tubing is fin ished by the action of the cutting'device and the linal set of guide rollers. The operations o1"; these devices have already been described in detail. The tube shrinks slightly from the forming member as it becomes cooled during the forming operation, and therefore but little tractive force is required to pull the tube from the mold. As indicated above, the fibers of the tubewalls run spirally around the tube, by reason of the progressively increasing centrifugal force to which the molten material is subjected while the tube is being formed. This property renders my tubing much stronger than ordinary seamless tubing, in which, it the metal is fibrous at all, the fibers lie parallel to theaxis of the tube.

'Whenthe machine which I have shown and described is set in operation, it produces strong and uniform tubing at a rapid rate, is entirely automatic in its operation", and requires but little attention.

tural. details and process steps set "forth herein may. be variously modified and re-- arranged without exceeding the limits of my invention, and that'no restrictions are to be imposed upon my invention except such. as are indicated in the a' 'ipendell claims. i

I claim as my invention: v

1. The process of making SGZUHlQSS tubing which consists in flowing molten material under actuation ofgravity into an inclined forming tube, sub ect1ng such material to the action of centrifugal force byrotating said tube about an axis coinciding approxidrawing the solidified material in a substantlally direct line from the lower end of the tube.

2. The process of making seamless tubing which consists in feeding molten material by gravity on a downwardinclination and at the same time whirling the metal in a downwardly inclined confined space, the cross section of which gradually increases from its upper toward its lower end, and continuously withdrawing the solidified formed material in a straight line substantially coincident with the axis about which such material. is so whirled.

3. The process of making seamless tubing which consists in subjecting a body of molten metal to the action of centrifugal force,

causing the centrifugal force to be so appliedas to expand such body into a tube of gradually enlarging diameter, progressively feeding the metal by gravity downwardly,

progressively cooling the metal to solidification in the course otjits downward progress, continuously adding molten metal to the bodythus treated, and continuously withdrawing the solidified body in a substantially straight line.

4:. An apparatus for making tubing comprising an' inclined forming tube mounted to rotate about approximately its geometrical axis in fixed location, said tubehaving an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end, and being of gradually mereas ing cross section from a point near the inlet to a pointnear the outlet," means for rotating said forming tube at a sufiiciently high speed to form fluid material within the tube into a film in contact with the walls of the tube, means for maintaining a cooling medium around said forming tube, and means for withdrawing the formed tubing from the outlet of said tube in a straight line substantially coincident with the axial line of the tube.

5. An apparatus for making tubing distinguished by a forming tube adapted to receive molten material in its interior and to discharge the solidified material from one end, means for rotatingsaid forming tube about approximately its geometrical axis, a casing--surrounding saidtube and being rotatabletherewith having an inlet "for fiuid. at one end and an outlet at the opposite end, and'propelling'vanes associated with said casing at the inlet end thereof for forcing cooling fluid through the easing.-

'6. Anapparatus for making seamless tubing distinguished by a forming tube having a substantially conical interior, means r01- tube having an inletior molten material its upper end and an outlet for the solidified supporting saidtube with its axis inclined and its smaller end uppermost, means for rotat ng said; tube aboutits axis, the

tubing at its lower end, a casing surround 'ing the forming tube having an annular inlet around the lower part of the tube, and

ing a fixed axial passage tlior receivingmolten material and having inlet and outlet openings at the smaller and larger ends spectively of the space within said walls, and means for rotating the said member.

9. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a rotatable member having walls conically convergingtrom end to end anddefining an inclined axial passage for receiving molten material, and means for rotatingthe said member.

10. Apparatus for making tubing comprismg a rotatable member having walls conically converging from end to end and defining an axial passage for receiving molten material, and means foiwapplying cooling fluid adjacent to the said passage,

11. Apparatus for making tubing comprising rotatable member defining an inclined axial passage having walls conically converging from end to end, means for introducing molten material into the upper and smaller end of the said passage, and means for applying cooling-fimd adgacent;

to the said passage.

12. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a rotatable member defining an inclined axial passage having walls'eonically converging from end to end, means for introducing molten material into the upper and smallerend of the said passage, means for applying cooling fiuid adjacent tothe said passage, and means for withdrawing tubing from the lower and larger end 0! tin said passage.

13. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a rotatablejmember defining annxial passage having walls upwardly and. com cally converging from end to end for receiving molten material and a casingsurrounding the said member and spacedtherefrom, the said casing being provided with ports for introducing cool-ingfl-uid into the lower the said fluid said casing. 141. Apparatus for making tubing comend of the said casing and for dischar from the upper endot'the said member and spaced therefrom,with its larger end adjacent to the smaller elidof'the said member, the said casingbemg provided with ports for introducing cooling; fluid into the smallerend of the saidcasing and for discharging the said fluid from the end of the said casing. i

15. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a rotatable member denning an axial passage of conically converging; form for re cciving' molten material, a casing of generally conical form surroundin the said memher and spaced therefrom, vith its lar 'cr end adjacent to the smaller end of th: said member, the said casing being provided with ports for introducing cooling fluid into the sn'ialler end of the said casing; and for dis charging the said fluid from the largerond of the said casing, annular jackets surround inc; the respective ends of the said adjacent to the said ports, and means associated with the said casing for drawing fluid through the said inlet ports from the adja cent jacket.

l6. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a. rotatable member defining anaizial passage for receiving molten material, a

lining of refractory material. for the said passage, and means attached to the said member adjacent to one end of the said passage for deflecting molten material intro duced therein.

1'7. Apparatus for making pipe comprising a rotatable member defining a conical axial passage for receiving molten material, a lining of refractory material. for the said passage, and deflecting baffles secured within the said passage adjacent to the smaller end thereof for imparting an initial twist to the mo ten. material introduced into the said passage.

l8. A pparatus for making tubing comprising; a rotatable member defining an axial passage for receiving; molten material, means for introducing molten inaterial into one end of the said passage, means for withdrawing: tubing continuously from the other end olythe said passage. and means for rotatins; the said member and for bodily revolving the said witlulrawing' means in unison with the said member.

19, Apparatus for making tubing comprising centrifugal tube-forming means,

means for withdrawing the formed tubing therefrom, means for rotatably supporting the said tube-forming: means and the said withdrawing means in alinement with each rhor, and means for adjusting the said supmeans to maintain the forming" and vu'itlulrnwingr means in :ilinod relation.

20. Apparatus forwmaking tubing com- .mati

prising a rotatable member defining an inclined axial passage for receiving molten material, tlibs-withdrawing device disposed in alinement with the said member, means. for rotating the member andthe said. withdrawing; device in unison, and

thrust bearings for supporting the said member and thelsaid withdrawing device.

21. Apparatus for making tub1ngco1nprising a rotatable member delimng an axial passage for receiving molt-en material,

means for introducing molten material into one endof the saidpassagmand means for withdrawing tubing from the other end of the said passage, the said withdrawing means comprising an elongated frame rota ably mounted ooaxially with the said menthers, and drawing; rollers carried by the said. frame.

22. Apparatus for making tubing comprising a centrifugal tube-forming; device, means for withdrawing tubing from the said device comprising an elongated rotatable frame adjacent to the said centrifugal device, drawing rollers carried by the said frame, anda pipe-severing device disposed adjacent to the said frame.

23. Apparatus for making tubing. Comprising a centrifugal tube-forming device, means for withdrawing tubing from the said device comprising; an elongated rotatable frame, and a set of positively driven drawing rollers carried by the said frame, a set of loosely rotatable. guide rollers rotatable in unison with the said frame, and a pipesevering device mounted between the said sets of rollers and axially reciprocable with respect thereto,

24:. Apparatus for making; tubing comprising a rotatable tube-forming device, a

tube-withdrawing device comprising an elongatec frame disposed adjacent to the said forming device and rotatable coaxially therewith, positively driven drawing rollers carried by the said frame, and means for rotating the said forming and withdrawing devices in unison and for driving the said drawing; rollers.

Apparatus for iaking tubing comprising' a rotatablepipe-forming device, a

tube-withdrowing; device comprising an oleited frame disposed adjacent to the said lei-mine; device and rotatable coaxialljv therewith, positively driven drawin rollers carried by the said frame, and var ablespccd mechanism for rotating the said forminn" and withdrawing devices in unison and for driving" the said drawing rollers.

26. Apparatus for making tubing comprising; arotatable member defining an a nil p n e for centriingally forming molten 11 into tubular form, means for withdrauumij tubing; from the said passage, the sznd wil'lnlra'uunn' means comprising a plurality of rollers that are bodily revoluble in unison with the said forming member, and

means; for rotating the said rollers at uriable speed.

27 Apparatus for nmking tubing comprising izzl paseagefoi: centrifugally forming molten material into tubular fo -n1, means for re u rotatabie member defining 2LI1-lX-.

the said pasSaQ e, the said Withdrawing; 1 means comprising aphn'ality of rollers that are bodily revolubie in unison with the said formingmeinber, and means for rotating the said rollers at variable speed. i

In testhnony whereof, I have hereunto i SHIFSCTTUCCLIDY name this twentieth duty of December 1915.

' NEWTON BANE. 

